On The Town: Plenty of poets turned up at a party in the Mansion House this week to welcome the publication of a new book of poetry, Something Beginning with P. Produced by O'Brien Press, it comprises 112 new poems for children written by 103 Irish poets.
John W Sexton, who lives in Kenmare, Co Kerry, wrote about a little girl who lives in an apple. Mark Roper who travelled up from Piltown, Co Kilkenny, wrote about Van Gogh's Yellow Chair. Gerry Murphy from Cork city warned that his first children's poem, 'Oops', is "a bit nasty".
Seán Mac Dhonnagáin (11) and his younger brothers, Niall (9) and Conall (6) loved Brendan Kennelly's poem about I Spy - especially because it's so like their own Irish-language version of the game, Feicim le mo shúilín bheag, explained their mother, the poet Áine Ní Ghlinn.
Seamus Cashman, editor of Something Beginning with P, which is illustrated by Corrina Askin and Alan Clarke, said a good poem "has a completeness of experience put into words" - and that, he adds, "might be something as simple as a memory of snaring a rabbit or about being proud of your house or about your dog doing 'large and juicy poos' in the neighbourhood".
It was this poem, 'Neighbourhood Watch' by Anne Le Marquand Hartigan, that William O'Donnell (11) liked best of all, and he pointed to the rude lines for the benefit of his father, poet and barrister John O'Donnell.
Other contributing poets who attended included Celia de Fréine, Louise C. Callaghan, who is now based on Inis Meáin, Máighréad Medbh, Dennis O'Driscoll, Joseph Woods, director of Poetry Ireland, the young film-maker and poet Adam Wyeth from Kilbrittain, Co Cork, Patrick Cotter who is also director of the Munster Literature Centre, Colette Nic Aodha, Enda Wyley and Gerard Smyth, of this newspaper.